Rice exports to Senegal increase 30 times

According to the Viet Nam Trade Office in Algeria concurrently in charge of Senegal, rice exports to Senegal in 2025 reached 168,020 tons, equivalent to $ 52.57 million. Compared to 2024, this figure increased 30-fold. This result reflects a combination of domestic demand in Senegal and high-level economic diplomacy efforts.

Senegal has the highest per capita rice consumption in West Africa (117 kg/person/year). Despite efforts toward self-sufficiency, its domestic production currently meets only 25-30% of demand, forcing the country to import around 1.5 million tons in 2026.

Currently, Viet Nam’s 100% broken fragrant rice is gradually establishing its position in Senegalese supermarkets at around $ 1.3/kg. However, since early 2026, the Senegalese government has imposed a price ceiling of 300 CFA/kg (approximately $ 0.54/kg) on ordinary imported broken rice to stabilize social welfare.

This requires Vietnamese enterprises to carefully calculate logistics and tax costs (which total about 20-30%, including VAT and import duties) to remain competitive.

The two countries are still implementing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on rice trade, committing to promote exports of around 100,000 tons of rice per year. With this growth momentum, Senegal is not only a consumption market but also a gateway for Vietnamese rice to penetrate deeper into neighboring markets such as Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau.